And you thought only white collar jobs are disappearing?

Here's an interesting Slashdot article.

Apparently it's called 'Medical Tourism'!

The complete Washington Post article is here. The article itself is a very good read.

Well, to give a brief personal experience - When I had to get a tooth capped, I was suggested by an American colleage to hop over the border at Nogales, Arizona to Mexico, since the costs are cheaper there! Everyone in her family used to choose that option rather than pay the exorbitant charges here in the US.

So when I went to India on vacation, I decided to get it done there. In dollar terms, it cost me 100 bucks. In terms of time, a couple of days compared to two weeks here. Both were, needless to say, way, way lesser than what it would have cost me here.

So, my question is - besides the basic cost (and yes, I know the cost of living is lower in Mexico & India), what are the other costs that are getting added to the bill? And why are Americans keeping quiet about it? If the system needs changing shouldn't someone take the initiative? This is capitalism after all. If my widget is cheaper than yours, then wouldn't everyone buy it?